JPS - Genesis - 44

44:1  And he commanded the steward of his house, saying: 'Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth.

44:2  And put my goblet, the silver goblet, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money.' And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

44:3  As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

44:4  And when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward: 'Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them: Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good?

44:5  Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby he indeed divineth? ye have done evil in so doing.'

44:6  And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these words.

44:7  And they said unto him: 'Wherefore speaketh my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing.

44:8  Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan; how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

44:9  With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.'

44:10  And he said: 'Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; and ye shall be blameless.'

44:11  Then they hastened, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

44:12  And he searched, beginning at the eldest, and leaving off at the youngest; and the goblet was found in Benjamin's sack.

44:13  And they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

44:14  And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house, and he was yet there; and they fell before him on the ground.

44:15  And Joseph said unto them: 'What deed is this that ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I will indeed divine?'

44:16  And Judah said: 'What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? G-d hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold, we are my lord's bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.'

44:17  And he said: 'Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the goblet is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.'

44:18  Then Judah came near unto him, and said: 'Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.

44:19  My lord asked his servants, saying: Have ye a father, or a brother?

44:20  And we said unto my lord: We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.

44:21  And thou saidst unto thy servants: Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.

44:22  And we said unto my lord: The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, his father would die.

44:23  And thou saidst unto thy servants: Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.

44:24  And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord.

44:25  And our father said: Go again, buy us a little food.

44:26  And we said: We cannot go down; if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down; for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us.

44:27  And thy servant my father said unto us: Ye know that my wife bore me two sons;

44:28  and the one went out from me, and I said: Surely he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since;

44:29  and if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

44:30  Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us; seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad's soul;

44:31  it will come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die; and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

44:32  For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying: If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever.

44:33  Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.

44:34  For how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I look upon the evil that shall come on my father.'